This invention relates to personal mobility products and more particularly to aids for lifting and/or seats for people with low mobility.
Conventional power wheelchairs for the rehabilitation market often have a power base unit and a seating system that is capable of both tilting the chair and lifting the chair. A tilting capability is useful to manage pressure on the occupant's skin. A lifting capability is useful to enable the occupant to access heights.
FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate a lift and tilt system for a power wheelchair from Balle Lift Systems. The system 200 includes a lift frame 202, a pair of opposing scissors lift mechanisms 204, a lift actuator 206, a tilt frame 210, a tilt mechanism 212, and a tilt actuator 214. Each one of the left and right scissor mechanisms has a first leg 220 and a front leg 230 (that is, the lower portion is toward the front). A lower end 232 of front leg 230 is attached to frame 202 at a pivot 234. A lower end 222 of first or rear leg 220 has a sliding support 224 on frame 202.
When lift actuator 206 operates to lower the lift system from its extended position of FIG. 15A to its retracted position of FIG. 15B, actuator 206 retracts, lower end 222 of scissor rear leg 220 moves rearward (that is, toward the left as oriented in FIG. 15A) from the force applied by the actuator and/or by the weight of the occupant. Frame 202 provides the support for lower end 222—that is, a surface of lower end 222 contacts a surface of frame 202 and bears on it.
FIG. 15A shows the tilt mechanism 212 in an extended position in which tilt actuator 214 is extended relative to tilt frame 210. FIG. 15B showss lift mechanism 204 and tilt mechanism 212 in a fully retracted position. Tilt frame 210 is stacked on top of lift frame 202. In some embodiments, tilt actuator 214 is offset relative to lift actuator 206 such that the actuators are side by side when in their retracted positions.